Brian’sPoems

The Collected Writings of Brian J. Mueller

A single poem, met at the right moment, can change a life.

Search and read all 1,834 pieces by Brian J. Mueller — 1,675 poems, 38 prose pieces, and 121 haiku from 12 published volumes. Free to read and share.

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Holding the Pain

Somehow the pain of our little dog
triggers my own pain,
my own fears,
and my own hurt.
This may be why
I sometimes find it difficult
to hold him close
in his very real suffering.

Pain,
about which I can do little,
terrifies me,
like the onslaught of wave
after overwhelming wave
of cold ocean.

I don’t see any way out
but through my pain.
Perhaps this is the purpose
of my growing older—
learning not to run from the pain,
holding it just close enough
to let it run its course.

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